Free time? Not for young, small business owner

Don't call Bart Piniaz an ordinary college student. Not many 24 year olds already have their own business.

Piniaz, who drives around in a black van with the words "Got Mold?" on it, owns BP Mold Remediation and Duct Cleaning.

Nor do many hold down three jobs -- he also works at Home Depot, and until recently worked as a bartender at night. And very few have been named a businessman of the year by the Business Advisory Council and the National Republican Congressional Committee.

The council is a group of conservative small business leaders aligned with the Republican group to push a pro-business agenda in Congress.

Piniaz, who just finished his sophomore year at Flagler College, is now transferring to the University of Phoenix. But he is planning to keep his business running here with some help.

With so much going on, does he have any free time?

"None," he joked, but mostly serious.

Originally born in Poland, he moved to the United States as a boy and grew up in New Jersey. Something of a workaholic, he was already a supervisor for an asbestos abatement company in New Jersey by the age of 19.

He moved to St. Augustine in 2000, worked in everything from drilling wells to laying bricks, and started school at Flagler. Over time, he began noticing more and more houses with mold, a growing problem the past several years.

"I kind of put it in the back of my mind and started doing some research," he said.

Seeing similarities to the asbestos work he had been in, he researched guidelines, studied industry practises and cleaning techniques.

"I spent two years researching it," he said. "I went out to Houston, where they have a big problem, and to see how companies there were doing things."

Piniaz said he's not the type to get involved in something unless he's done his homework and understands all the workings. And he admits he's a bit different than the other sophomores at school.

The recognition from the Business Advisory Council struck him by surprise. When he first got the call, he thought it was a solicitor selling him something.

"I thought, 'What is this?' I'm not even a Republican," he said.

And he's still not sure why he was selected.

"When you think of something like this, you think of well-established businessmen with gray hair," he said. "But I'm looking forward to it."

His name was included in an ad in the Wall Street Journal with all the group's selections.

A spokeswoman for the committee said the business owners are selected from throughout the country for their leadership skills and innovative ideas. She said they specifically want small business leaders and entrepreneurs to talk about issues affecting them.

She would not give out specific numbers of how many were selected.

Piniaz, who is majoring in business administration, said he would also like to open a mold remediation business in Tuscon, Ariz.

"I don't ever want to go out and just work at a place where I punch a clock," he said.